India appoints panel to oversee legalisation of online gambling

The creation of the panel follows the new online gambling bill introduced in April.

India.- India continues to make advances towards a possible legalisation of gambling. A seven-member team that includes state ministers has been tasked to identify a nodal ministry to oversee the industry. Its responsibilities iinclude developing regulatory mechanisms to protect players and business principles.

According to reports, the panel will pay particular attention to the legal and legislative frameworks used by other regulators in the world to help formulate policies that could be considered acceptable in areas of India where anti-gambling sentiment exists locally. The hope is that legalising gaming will help curb illegal offerings.

the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) welcomed the news. As reported by Kashmir Life, it said: “This step indicates the impetus that the government is willing to provide for the growth of India’s online gaming industry. The task force is a big step in creating regulatory certainty for the nascent and fast-growing online gaming industry.”

In recent weeks, raids against illegal gambling have intensified in different states. There have been many operations targeting illegal betting on cricket matches.

To date, apart from the Supreme Court’s precedent on skill-based gambling, there is no federal statute to govern India’s gambling industry, with each state taking its own stance on the issue. In March, the All India Game Federation (AIGF) had urged Indian states to take a proactive approach to develop a robust policy framework for the online gaming industry.